


When Lightning Strikes

by banjkazfan, Phoenix_Down



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Comfort, Day 3, Electricity, Established Relationship, Gladnis Week, M/M, Phobias
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-01 07:01:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15768993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banjkazfan/pseuds/banjkazfan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix_Down/pseuds/Phoenix_Down
Summary: Gladio Amicitia is the shield of the future king, he supposed to be big and strong and a protector to all. He's certainly not supposed to be scared of anything. But he is, and he's kept it hidden all these years.But now, his secret may become known when he sleeps over at his boyfriend's house and the weather takes a little turn for the worse.Written for Gladnis2018 Prompt - Electricity.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When Gladio Fluff week came around, Banj and I were RPing a Gladnis piece that just happened to fall into one of the prompts. This time when the Gladnis prompts were announced we decided to do the same. RP one of the prompts and turn it into a fic.
> 
> This is the fruits of our labours... it became a lot longer than we intended lol
> 
> Enjoy x Phoe and Banj x

Ignis had been dating Gladio for nearly two months. They'd met as kids almost fifteen years, grown up together, became friends and then more recently, boyfriends. In those two months, nay those fifteen years Ignis had never once invited Gladio round to his apartment. Up until now, their dates had been exclusively in public. Restaurant meals, theatre trips, museum outings. On the odd occasion, they had extended the date it had always been to Gladio's house.

To Ignis, having someone enter his own home, his own personal sanctuary meant that he was opening up, trusting people, almost relinquishing what little control over his own life he had and sharing it with someone else. With Gladio, though it was different, he already shared 90% of his life with the man, work colleagues to friends to now this new relationship. It sort of made sense to bring Gladio 100% into his life, to open up and let him in.

Which is why at almost 7.30 on a Friday evening, Ignis was home in his own apartment, a chickatrice pot pie was cooking in the oven, a Duscaen orange trifle was chilling in the fridge and Ignis himself was on his hands and knees scrubbing at a wine stain on the wall behind the bookcase. A stain that had happened when Ignis had accidentally knocked his glass off the bookcase whilst he'd been retrieving a book to read.

Ignis knew that he could just move the bookcase over an inch or too and it the stain would have been hidden, but he at least wanted to try and look like he had made an effort. If he was going to let Gladio into his life, he wanted it to be a life he was proud of.

Outside the apartment building, Gladio nervously shifted the bag on his shoulder, wincing at the sound of the wine bottles clattering as he moved. Ignis had been adamant he didn't need to bring anything, but he'd sniffed around to try and find Ignis' favourite wine - he'd been told Altissian red was always a good bet, so he'd gotten that and some Galahdian wine as well. That had been harder to procure, but if Ignis didn't want it he knew damn well Nyx would.

He'd been to Ignis' building before to drop him off but had never been invited inside as of yet. He wasn't offended; he knew how private Ignis was. But now he wondered what the night would bring. Was he expected to stay? Was he _wanted_ to stay? He'd always kept a spare overnight bag in his car in case of emergencies...would he need it tonight? His cheeks flared slightly pink. They didn't even have to _do_ anything, but if Ignis wanted him he'd be happy to stay.

Nervously he pushed the button for 215 and waited, depressing the metal button and listening to the buzz as it rang up to Ignis' apartment.

Ignis had been up to his elbows in cleaning solvents when the intercom buzzed and he glanced towards it in alarm. Gladio was on time. Of course, he was, Ignis chided. Gladio was one of the few people he'd met that actually valued the art of time management. Unlike a certain Prince and his friend.

Standing up and drying his hands on a rag, he hurried over to the intercom. Gladio was smiling up at the camera an expression of intrigue etched on his face, probably wondering if Ignis was watching him or was that excitement? Ignis smiled softly before letting Gladio in, momentarily distracted by the gorgeous man standing on his doorstep. Butterflies stirred in his stomach at the thought of what the night might bring. Finally, he allowed Gladio entrance to the building and hurried away to tidy up the evidence of his frantic, but unsuccessful deep clean.

As he tidied Gladio walked down the hallway waving to the guard as he passed. Coming from his own timeless classic of a house he felt strangely out of place in Ignis' modernised building. That wasn't to say it wasn't nice, nor was it as nice as Noctis' building a couple of blocks away, but this was still decent enough and befitting of Ignis rank and station.

He curiously wondered what Ignis' apartment looked like. He flicked through multiple mental pictures, wondering which - if any - were close at all.

In no time at all, he found himself at the large door of 215, and Gladio smiled confidently before knocking.

Ignis had just moved the bookcase to hide the wine stain when the Gladio knocked. He'd already plumped up the couch cushions before and did one final stock of the room ensuring there was nothing embarrassing in sight before he headed to the door.

Gladio fidgeted on the welcome mat, looking down at the fabric below him and running his hand through his hair nervously. Man. It wasn't like this was a big deal. It was just the first time he'd ever been...over to Ignis' house...

He swallowed. Man. Now he was losing his nerves.

Inside a slight panic of nerves coursed through Ignis as he placed his hand on the door handle. Gladio was here, for dinner and Ignis ran through his mental list to ensure he'd done everything. Happy that he had, but unable to quell his nerves, he checked himself quickly in the mirror, running his free hand through his hair, before finally opening the door.

Gladio's face lit up happily at the sight of his boyfriend. "Hey," he greeted warmly and seeing Ignis' face bolstered his nerves. "How are you?"

Ignis smiled, the nerves he had been feeling ebbing away at the sight of him and Ignis leaned forward to press a chaste kiss of greeting on Gladio's cheek.

Gladio leaned down slightly knowing he still had some height on the other man and wanted to make it easier for him. Before Ignis pulled away, Gladio quickly turned and retuned the kiss, loving the feel of his soft skin under his lips.

"Hello," Ignis breathed pulling away. "Thank you for coming, please come in." He pulled away and stepped to the side, giving Gladio the room he needed to enter. " You can leave your shoes on the rack and I'll show you around. May I take your bag for you? He motived the bag and smiled softly, knowing that despite his insistence that Gladio didn't need to bring anything, he had still brought something anyway and he held out his hand to take it. "Feel free to leave your shoes on the rack, may I take your bag?"

"Hey, thanks," Gladio said as he handed the bag to Ignis so he could get his shoes off. The place was immaculate and he would have felt bad tracking dirt in so he was happy to know that this was the standard already. He neatly arranged his shoes by the door and stood straight.

Ignis resisted the urge to look in the bag, deciding instead to respect Gladio's privacy. Instead, he gently took Gladio's hand and led him down the hallway, intending to show him around.\

Gladio always loved the electric moment when their fingers connected and he tightened his fingers slightly around Ignis'. They'd only recently graduated to handholding in private and he cherished every time it happened.

"The bathroom is down the hall and to the left and this is the living room and kitchen." He smiled and dropped Gladio's hand to place the bag on the kitchen counter. 

Gladio nodded taking it all in. Okay, good to know where the bathroom was. He jotted that down mentally. "Thanks, Iggy," he said. "Your place is immaculate." The hardwood floors were beautiful and looked recently redone; he wondered how long Ignis had lived here or if he was just that cautious with his floors. Gladio tried not to think about the state of his own carpet at home.

Ignis blushed at the compliment and his eyes drifted to the wine stain behind the bookcase, he knew it was there and it was mocking him. "Please make yourself comfortable," he said instead. "Can I offer you anything to drink?"

"Well...I brought wine," he said a little sheepishly. "If you wanted to drink that, we could. Otherwise, water is fine."

At the sound of wine, he looked up at Gladio. "You didn't have to do that," He started, hand drifting towards the bag. "It's very much appreciated but honestly Gladio I did say..." He stopped when he pulled out the first bottle, the Galahdian.

"Yeah, I know you said but I wanted to," Gladio muttered. "My dad always says when you're a guest you bring a gift. So I asked around about wines you like..."

"How on Eos..." He muttered, interrupting Gladio and turning the bottle over in his hands to read the label. "And the vintage... This is from before the fall? How did you..."

He was speechless, utterly speechless. Ignis liked his wines, it was of the drinks he would happily drink all day if he didn't have to contend with the side-effects. He'd tried Galahdian wine once before, it was a rare commodity these days and had been searching for one ever since, but he never thought he'd be standing in his own kitchen holding a bottle.

He glanced back up at Gladio, eyes shining in gratitude. "Thank you."

He seemed a little embarrassed now. Yeah, tracking one down hadn't been easy, but it had been worth it. Crowe had promised him that Ignis would love it, and he'd only had to take her turn at running drills for two weeks for it. It was a steal in his mind. He'd tried to ignore her mumbled comment about how the fools were finally getting together and she didn't mind giving it up for that.

"Ah, don't worry about it," he said with a wave of his hand. "Got it on good authority that you'd like this. I take it I heard right?"

In truth, his heart was pounding. He had no idea if this was too much or if he'd over stepped.

Ignis smiled and nodded. "You heard right indeed," He placed it down on the counter and retrieved the other bottle, the Altissia red and placed it on the counter as well.

"I first tasted this particular brand on my 18th, a present from my father upon joining the Crownsguard and my graduation. Not only does it taste sublime, it holds a sentimental value as well." He didn't have to mention it was the last time he'd seen his father before his illness claimed him, but the explanation was there should Gladio want it.

Gladio's eyes softened. He hadn't known Ignis well then, but when someone new passed the rigorous tests to join the Crownsguard it was a party for everyone. He remembered the celebration, and he remembered the timing of Ignis' father's death not long after. They hadn't known each other personally then, and he'd passed on his condolences at the time, but it never felt quite right.

Leaving both the bottles on the side Ignis stepped forward and place his hands gently on Gladio's cheeks before pulling his head down and capturing his lips in a kiss.

"Thank you," He whispered before kissing him again. "So much."

But before Gladio could bring it up - probably for the best - Ignis kissed him, pulling him down into it, and Gladio softly returned it. He rested a broad hand on Ignis' back, bleeding heat into his purple shirt, and he smiled.

"Happy to do it," he murmured. 

Ignis hummed and pulled away but not before pressing a final kiss onto Gladio's nose. He released him and let him straighten up whilst Ignis retrieved some glasses from the cupboard.

Gladio smiled at Ignis, pleased that his gift had been so well accepted. He stood up when released and ran a hand shyly through his hair. 

"Would you like to try some?" He asked pulling a corkscrew out of a drawer. "See what all my fuss is about?" He chuckled softly and moved the Altissian to his wine rack to give him more room to work on the Galahdian.

"You sure?" Gladio seemed a little surprised. "I thought wine was for special occasions and all that." But he was more than a little curious.

Ignis gave him a sly smile. "I think this counts a special occasion don't you?" He asked unwrapping the plastic around the bottle neck and screwing the corkscrew into the cork. "You being here, in my apartment, a romantic evening with just the two of us."

"If you're sure," Gladio said. "Then I'd love to."

Ignis pulled out the cork with a satisfying pop and went to retrieve a carafe from the cabinet. He poured some into the carafe picked it and the glasses up and made his way passed Gladio and into the living room.

Sitting down he placed the wine with the glasses on the coffee table and patted the seat next to him invitingly.

"Come," He said with a smile. "Tell me about your day as we celebrate this next step in our relationship."

Gladio's cheeks flushed slightly at the words. Well...he guessed that was true enough. It was special enough…

Determining that the wine had breathed enough he poured it into the glasses as he waited for Gladio to join him.

Gladio sat down next to Ignis and picked up the wineglass. A smile curled his lips as he held it aloft.

"To us," he murmured, waiting for Ignis.

Ignis raised his own glass. They touched with a clink and Ignis swirled it before sipping it 

The perfect blend of fruits complemented each other and it was exactly how Ignis remembered it. "Exquisite," He praised going in for another sip.

Memories of his father flashed by with the second sip and he smiled lost on thought. His eyes sought out the picture on his mantle piece of himself and his parents before he left home and he gave a little nod in remembrance. He'd have to call his mother at some point, maybe introduce Gladio to her.

Gladio smiled and tapped his glass to Ignis' before taking a curious sip. Wine had never really been his thing - he much preferred hard liquor - but Ignis had sung its praises so highly how could he not wonder?

When he took his first sip he immediately noticed the dry flavour. It highlighted the pop of fruits and he hummed thoughtfully as he let the flavour linger on his tongue, rolling over the different taste receptors. He was impressed by how the flavours meshed and worked together and he took a second sip not long after the first.

His eyes followed Ignis' to the picture and he softened. He wondered how often Ignis saw his parents if he still spoke to his mother a lot, and what they all liked to do before his father passed. But it seemed too much to ask now and he instead took a third sip.

"Is it to your liking sir?" Ignis teased with a nudge when he noticed that Gladio kept sipping at it.

He knew Gladio wasn't one for wine, but the fact that he had at least tried for Ignis' sake made it all worth while.

Gladio chuckled softly, pulled from his thoughts by the nudge. "Better than I expected," he said. "I can taste why you like this one so much. The fruit works with how dry it is." Even if it made him want to drink some water afterwards.

"Hope it'll go well with whatever you've made." He felt guilty that Ignis had cooked; he'd offered to take him out but the other man had insisted on cooking.

Ignis just smiled knowingly. Red wasn't the best to pair with chickatrice or any white meat if he was being honest. White was better, but the red was too delicious to pass up not drinking another glass so he'd let it slide.

"I have your preferred bear, chilling in the fridge if you'd like."

Gladio perked up at the sound of beer. He didn't even realize that Ignis knew his preferred beer and that made him feel warm and fuzzy.

"Aw, Iggy. You didn't have to do that..." His ears flushed slightly red and he smiled shyly. "You're too good to me, y'know."

Ignis just hummed happily, before stretching and rising at the same time his timer pinged. "I'll be back, I just need to check on it."

Gladio stood at the sound of the timer as well. "You need a hand? Let me help out." 

"You're my guest," Ignis said with a smile. "You shouldn't have to lift a finger. However, if you felt so inclined, the plates are in the top cupboard and the cutlery in the drawer below."

Ignis knew that Gladio loved to help, he wouldn't have offered otherwise. He liked being able to assist and feel valued. Which is why Ignis didn't feel guilty when he pointed out the cupboard and drawer he was referring to.

Gladio set the wine down, making a mental note to try and dig up other bottles of it - he'd call in every favour if necessary - and moved to the indicated cabinets. He reached for the plates with ease, thanks to his height, and gathered two. The plates were simple yet elegant - and in a sense wasn't that Ignis? Simple yet elegant? He reached for the silverware as well and moved to set the table.

"Smells amazing," he called. "What did you make?" 

"Just an old family recipe," Ignis replied. "Chickatrice Pot Pie, with potatoes, baby carrots and asparagus."

Gladio hummed happily at the description of the food. "Oh man. I haven't had a good pot pie in forever." His stomach perked up at the sound and the smell and it gave a sad little rumble that there was no food immediately available. He poked it quickly to try and make it stop.

"There's also desert as well." Ignis smiled and opened up the oven door. He checked the puff pastry, all made and hand rolled from scratch, before checking the meat was thoroughly cooked before taking it out and placing it on the side to serve.

"Dessert too?" Gladio shouldn't have been surprised but he was. "You're gonna spoil me, Iggy. Can't wait to try it all."

"Of course I should have," Ignis replied, plating up the pie and vegetables, slyly giving Gladio a bigger helping than his own. He smiled and brought the plates over to the table, placing them down before going back to get a beer from the fridge.

Gladio tried not to hover over Ignis' shoulder, giving him the space to let him work. He wasn't yet sure how to articulate it but he was immensely grateful to have been let into Ignis' home and his life. And he wouldn't squander the opportunity by hovering.

Gladio stayed standing when Ignis disappeared back into the kitchen. "I can get that," Gladio protested weakly at the sight of the beer in his hand. "Ah, thanks, Iggy."  he said instead, gratefully accepted the beer and again his heart fluttered at the realization that Ignis knew his favourite and had kept it for him.

 "Please just help yourself to anything else you may want. Mi casa es su casa as they say."

He gestured to the table. "Come, let us eat before it gets cold. I hope you are hungry."

Gladio's stomach piped up again and he patted it in an attempt to make it settle.  "Guess I am," he admitted sheepishly.  "Sorry.  I'm being really rude."

Ignis smiled at the noises Gladio's stomach made. "Poor baby," He teased. "has no-one fed you today? Don't worry, there's plenty more if you're still hungry. 

Gladio laughed shyly, a little embarrassed by the noises even as Ignis teased him. "Well, you know, I fed him some cup noodles earlier," he said. "Didn't want to eat much since you were cooking."

He took Ignis' hand and walked him to the chair before pulling it out for him to sit in, offering his boyfriend a little smile.

Ignis returned the smile and chuckled at the gentlemanly ways of his boyfriend. It was endearing and Ignis felt that Gladio would go to the ends of the world for him. He'd never ask him to, but it's nice to know the thought was there.

Gladio moved and took his own seat across from Ignis as his eyes scanned the food. He hummed excitedly. "Looks amazing," he said. "The pie looks nice and golden brown..."

"Thank you," Ignis flushed with pride, having the people he cared about comment and admire what he did made everything worth while to Ignis. It meant that what he did didn't go to waste.

He picked up his knife and fork and began to eat slowly, looking up every so often to check that Gladio was enjoying it as much as he was.

Gladio ate less slowly than Ignis - he'd been so used to having to eat quickly between training sessions that he was used to eating smaller meals quickly - but tried to slow his pace to match Ignis'. He didn't want to seem rude, but it was _so good_.

"Man this is amazing," he mumbled around his food. "Thank you, Iggy. Fantastic."

He loved watching Ignis eat. It was weird, but it made him happy to see Ignis eating and taking care of himself. His cheeks dusted pink and he smiled as he continued to eat.

Ignis just smiled and returned to his own meal. So far so good, the evening was going swimmingly.


	2. Chapter 2

"I was thinking," Ignis said slowly once his plate was half empty. "That after dinner you might want to watch a film. Just relax? If it gets too late you're also more than welcome to stay the night. I heard it might rain this evening." He trailed off and resumed eating, a flock of hyperactive butterflies in his stomach refusing to calm down.  He liked the thought of Gladio staying the night, waking up beside him, it was something they hadn't done yet. Their relationship still in its infancy and neither of them keen on Gladio's sister walking in on them.

Ignis' question drew Gladio out of his thoughts. The movie sounded good, but staying the night? He swallowed a little nervously. It wasn't that he didn't want to. Not at all. But that Ignis was offering so freely...he forced down his nerves and smiled.

"That all sounds...really good." He smiled a little shyly. "Are you sure...?

Ignis nodded. "I happen to have the morning off, not quite sure how that happened..." Actually, he knew exactly how it had happened and it all revolved Noctis conveniently arguing that he would only attend a council meeting if it was in the afternoon. "And as long as you have nothing pressing to attend, I'd be delighted if you stayed. Did you drive? It saves you from getting a taxi home and coming back tomorrow to collect your car." He had taken to chasing a pea from the pie around his plate. The butterflies causing a ruckus and he willed them to quiet down. They didn't even have to do anything, Ignis would happily sleep on the couch and let Gladio take the bed if that was the case.

"Woah. They gave you a morning off?" Gladio chuckled at the thought. He wondered how that had come about. "Somehow I don't have training tomorrow either." He wasn't sure why, but he hadn't complained. Now he wondered if it was connected.  "Yeah...? I'd like that too." He turned his smile to Ignis. "I drove, yeah. Just parked in the guest spot. I...actually always keep a spare bag in my trunk. So if you're sure I'm not bothering you..." He trailed off and shoved a carrot into his mouth awkwardly.

"Gladio," Ignis smirked. "I wouldn't have asked otherwise if you were going to bother me." The butterflies finally settled, the worry of being rejected gone, now all Ignis had to worry about was how the evening would pan out. But he pushed away all those thoughts, for now, they were future Ignis' problems.

Gladio chuckled and relaxed at that. He knew Ignis well enough to know this was true. "Yeah, you don't invite people into your space if they're going to annoy you." Ignis was incredibly private and being gifted with a glance into his life was a gift that Gladio would treasure.

"I'll even let you pick the movie," Ignis grinned and returned to finish his dinner.

"Oh, I get to pick!" Gladio seemed giddy at the idea. "I'm gonna pick the best-worst movie I can. You might regret that."

Ignis laughed at Gladio's giddiness, he didn't mind what they watched he was just happy to spend time alone. Alone was a commodity these days, especially in their line of work. He finished off his meal and placed his cutlery together on the plate to wait for Gladio to finish.

Gladio found himself savouring every bite of the meal, swearing that he could actually taste the love that Ignis had folded into the pastry and sprinkled into the seasonings. It made him warm the same way the brief kiss of cayenne pepper did.

When he swallowed the last bite he reluctantly resisted the urge to lick his fork and laid it down on the plate. "Oh, that's so good," he groaned softly. "How did you get so good?"

Ignis blushed, he didn't think he was that good, merely followed the recipe. "I don't deserve all the credit," He chuckled. "My family as you may not know, own a restaurant. In my youth, I used to spend my weekends there washing dishes, learning, at least until my duties here started becoming more demanding of me. But I learned everything from watching my mother and grandmother cook."

Gladio perked up at that. Well, that was something he hadn't known. Ignis had helped in a restaurant? "I didn't know," he said softly. "Did you like it? How long did you work with them?"

Ignis hummed in thought and rose to collect the plates before placing them in the sink, he'd wash up later. "Must have been 6 years or so. When I first started in the Citadel I used to get weekends off, those were the days," He chuckled loftily. "And instead of finding me a babysitter and never seeing me, my parents brought me to the restaurant. I was about 12 when I stopped going, deciding instead to use my weekends as a way to further myself. I still miss my carefree youth sometimes."

"Wow...hard to believe there was ever a time that you got weekends off." Gladio chuckled. "I remember having those too. But hey, you did what was right for you then. If you're happy with how it turned out..." 

Ignis smiled at that. "I should take you one day," he added wistfully. "I'd love for you to meet my mother."

Gladio's smile in return was fond. "I'd love to meet your mother," he said, even if it scared the hell out of him.

The butterflies fluttered at the prospect of Gladio meeting his family, but he willed them to quieten down, instead he turned to the fridge. "Now then would you like dessert now or later?"

Gladio had followed Ignis to the kitchen, kissing the back of his neck. "You hungry enough for dessert?"

Ignis blushed at the kiss and turned to face Gladio, he placed both his hands on Gladio's hips before returning the kiss with one of his own. "We could watch the movie first, then about halfway through, pause and get dessert and coffees? Unless you'd rather not pause a movie halfway through." Not having dessert now, meant that Ignis could have his hands free to curl up in Gladio's arms. The talk about his family and the kiss to his neck had given him the urge to just be held.

"That's fine.  You might want a break halfway through it anyway."  Gladio said holding Ignis' hips and happily returning the kiss. He knew what movie he was hoping to choose, and he suspected Ignis might break up with him over it. He chuckled at the thought that Ignis might leave him over a movie.

"What are you planning on subjecting me to Gladiolus?" Ignis admonished, taking his hand and leading him back to the living room.

Gladio grinned and allowed himself to be led away. Sometimes he was caught off guard with how confident and forward his boyfriend could be at times, and he loved it.  It always made him smile.  "You'll see," he answered cryptically.

Dropping Gladio's hand, Ignis stepped over to the curtains and pulled them to stop the glare of the light outside reflecting off the screen, before retrieving the remote from the table. He handed it over with a fake worried look.

Gladio chuckled softly accepting the remote with a sly smile and settling down on the couch. His smiled turned into a grin as he flipped through the movies available before settling on his old shame: the Super Moogle Brothers movie.  Oh, Ignis was going to hate him.

Ignis perched on the end of the couch, watching as Gladio chose what was to be their entertainment for the evening. "Is this the one that Noct hates so much that he's declared that when he's king watching it will be punishable by execution?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.

Tucking his legs under himself he leaned in towards Gladio and chuckled in memory. Noctis and Prompto had had many an argument about this movie, Prompto being firmly sold on the idea that it was a classic and all classics should be treasured.  Ignis had never watched it and was mildly interested to see in what all the fuss was about.

Gladio threw his head back and laughed. "It's a guilty pleasure," he admitted. "I used to watch it with my dad when he wasn't so busy. He played the game growing up, he said, and he was _offended_ by how they represented it. And I think he liked watching it and bitching about it. Like he was letting off some steam about life in a safe way that let us spend time together too."

He smiled, a little fond and a little sad. "We haven't really gotten to sit down and watch it since Iris was born." Left unsaid was that it was around the same time his mother had passed.

Ignis knew this was a big thing for Gladio and he felt honoured to be allowed into this portion of Gladio's life.

"I feel honoured you letting me into this part of your life." He smiled and pressed a kiss to Gladio's cheek before resting his head on Gladio's shoulder so he could watch the film.

Gladio smiled in return and slid his arm around Ignis, pulling him close and running a hand through his hair. "You're welcome," he said softly. "Thank you for being here." 

He pressed play and settled back in as the cheesy opening narration started.

_"A long time ago, dinosaurs roamed the earth. They were big, so, not a lotta people went around hasslin' em...actually, no one went around hasslin' em, because there weren't any people yet...then one day, a giant meteorite struck the earth! Goodbye, dinosaurs!"_

Ignis snorted at the opening. Already the cheesy commentary and less than realistic CGI giving a precursor as to how bad the whole movie was going to be. "Insomnia 65 million years ago? Come now at least make it Solheim to be a little more plausible." He muttered. "Insomnia is only 2000 years old after all."

Gladio laughed and was thrilled that Ignis already seemed ready to rip on this movie. It felt like _home_.

"Eh, maybe they just mean where Insomnia is _going_ to be. It's easier to say that than to make the caption "Where Insomnia is Going to Be, 65,000,000 years ago". That confuses me just to say it aloud."

Ignis smiled at Gladio's laugh, it was nice to hear, it meant he was happy, relaxed and comfortable around Ignis.

~*~

The movie just kept getting worse and the banter they had between them about the movie increased. Ignis had no idea what was actually going on, but he was enjoying the commentary between them.

Gladio honestly wasn't paying attention by this point but he was just enjoying Ignis' company and their discussion about the film. If you could even call it that.

When they hit the club scene he paused and chuckled. "Oh boy. I'll give you a break if you want to get dessert now before we continue."

Ignis nodded and uncurled himself from Gladio's hold, stretched and stood up. "Can I offer you a coffee or another beer? I also have brandy if you'd prefer a digestif?" he asked as he made his way to the kitchen and retrieved the trifle from the fridge.

"Coffee is cool if you show me where your stuff is. I'm happy to make it."

Ignis nodded, coffee was fine with him and gestured to the cupboard where he kept his coffee supplies. "Go for the good stuff, the instant is only for emergencies and even then I think it's been in there a good 3 years."

Gladio noted the cupboard and stood following Ignis to the kitchen. He reached Ignis and instead of going straight for the coffee he leaned a little closer to see the dessert. He'd admit he was hungry and a little greedy for more of Ignis' cooking, maybe.

Feeling Gladio leaning in Ignis pushed back a little with a smile before scooping some of the whipped cream onto his finger, turning and dabbing it on to Gladio's nose.

"Patience," He admonished, "let me serve."

Gladio yelped as the cold whipped cream touched his nose before laughing as he backed away. "Alright, alright," he said. "I can take a hint and be patient."

He instead moved to prepare the coffee, ignoring the jar of instant grounds and going for the sealed container of fresh beans. He measured and dumped them into the grinder before pouring the grounds into a filter and setting it into the machine. He fumbled in the cabinet for the vial of peppermint, remembering that Ignis liked that.

Ignis finished serving and took the bowls back to the living room before setting them on the table. Grabbing a blanket from the back of the couch he tucked his legs under once more and draped the blanket over his legs. 

"If you are looking for peppermint, it's the next cupboard over," He called with a smirk. Gladio was too good to him, he honestly could get used to this.

Gladio chuckled and moved to the next cupboard, finding the bottle easily. "Silly me," he said, "thinking it was with the other coffee stuff."

He prepared the cups before carrying Ignis' over and setting it in front of him. A quick kiss was dropped on Ignis' forehead before Gladio disappeared into the kitchen for the other cup.

It wasn't long before he was settled in beside Ignis once more.

Taking a sip of his coffee he nodded his thanks and placed it on the table, before turning and kissing Gladio on the nose. "Saving that for later were you?" He asked innocently, before bringing the blanket over Gladio's lap as well and reaching for his trifle.

Gladio chuckled when Ignis' kiss wiped the cream from his nose. "Caught me," he admitted ruefully. "Was gonna have that later." 

The four-layered dessert may look easy but Ignis had started this particular one the night before to ensure that the sponge had cooled and the jelly had set before piecing together.

He watched Gladio, hoping that he would like it. It was a Tenabrean recipe and not one that was served in Insomnia. He wondered If Gladio had tried one before.

Gladio accepted the dessert and he sunk his spoon into it curiously. "Looks good," he said. "What's in it?" He took a dubious bite and hummed softly as the sponge nearly fell apart on his tongue. "Oh wow," he mumbled happily.

Ignis smiled to himself and tucked into his own. "Fresh Duscaen oranges set in an orange jelly, topped with a trifle sponge soaked in sherry, layered with custard and finished with whipped cream. Nothing special really, but it sure does taste lovely." 

It barely touched the sides as he finished it and scraped his bowl, before returning to his coffee.

"' _Nothing special_ '? Six, Iggy; I don't even know what half of what you said is. All I know is it's delicious and it's all going in my stomach." Gladio chuckled and eagerly spooned the rest up before hitting "play" to start the movie back up.

The dance scene was horrendously bad - the hero dancing with the bouncer to try and steal the meteorite piece that was the necklace. But the song was nice enough, and it made him want to dance with Ignis, too.

Ignis cringed horribly at the bar scene, in fact, the whole film was cringe-worthy but to see Gladio laugh along with or comment at its cheesiness made it all the worthwhile.

Ignis couldn't believe they'd only been dating for almost two months, they'd known each other for a lot longer. Kind of hard not to when Noctis was the mutual connection. Ignis had always been a private person, always feared to get to close to someone, but with Gladio is was different. The fact they had been friends before that helped. Ignis could honestly say he'd never felt the same way about anyone then what he felt with Gladio.

Gladio gradually got closer to Ignis, laughing warmly at how bad this movie was. And yet he constantly enjoyed every second of it. How could he not, arms curled around his favourite person, laughing together over a bad movie? "Oh boy," he said eagerly. "Here comes the mattress surfing scene." The fact that he had a lover -  a _friend_ willing to watch this with him made his heart glow.

"Did I ever tell you the time Noctis coerced me into mattress surfing down the utility stairs? It's didn't end well for either of us. Especially when we landed at the Marshal and your father's feet as they were doing their rounds." 

"What?! He did not. _You_ did not. Who are you and what did you do with Iggy?" But Gladio didn't sound offended - if he was, it was only that he missed it. 

Ignis chuckled softly, watching the scene. The camera movements as they surf down the pipe were rather dizzying, and Ignis had to look away at some point just to reorientate himself.

"Noctis was grounded for a week, and they thought my broken arm was punishment enough that I wouldn't be tempted to do it again." He smiled at the memory, at Noctis telling at his dad. ' _You can't ground me I'm the Prince,' 'I can because I'm the king_ '

"Oh man. How old were you two? Did you catch hell? Man, I wish I'd seen it." He thought he vaguely remembered his father mentioning something along those lines.

"Oh, it was in the early years of my career. I was about seven, Noctis only five. It was after that incident that I learned that I was actually allowed to say no to him. I've never looked back" He chuckled, he used the word no, quite a lot these days.

"Little shit," Gladio muttered. "Getting you in trouble even then, huh." He knew that Ignis had always had a soft spot for Noctis and had, at a variety of times, had trouble saying no. He was glad this had been a lesson - though he wished the broken arm hadn't been part of it. "It healed up okay?" he asked, touching Ignis' arm.

Ignis tingled at the touch and twisted his arm in such a way that Gladio could see the scar just above his elbow. "You can barely see it," He said with a smile. "Noctis was ever so guilty when he realised I'd gotten hurt, ate his vegetables for a day to show how apologetic he was." He chuckled. "We stuck to sneaking up to the roof after that."

Gladio hummed at the sight of the scar before bending his head to kiss it lightly and holding Ignis closer. "Wow. A whole day of vegetables," he teased. "He must really have felt bad."

He leaned back against the couch as the climax of the movie began to play out. "Didn't realize you two always went to the roof."

He rubbed his thumb idly over the scar as he watched, so relaxed and happy he didn't even hear the rain starting.

"Noctis liked the stars, said they were the same stars no matter where we were in the world. So we used to lie up there and pretend we were anywhere but here." He smiled softly. "Everything changed after the incident though..." He trailed off more focused on the thumb rubbing his arm then the movie. "It's a shame you didn't live in the citadel with us, we all could have been up there."

Gladio went quiet at that and gently rubbed Ignis' arm. He'd been around after the attack, sure, but he hadn't been as intimately close to it as Ignis. He just focused on holding his boyfriend close. "Yeah," he said softly. "Would have been nice. I would have liked to do that."

Ignis smiled and placed a small kiss on Gladio's cheek and turned to watch the ending of the movie.

"I have no idea what happened, but it sure was entertaining," he mused at the credits rolled. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

Gladio laughed aloud at that, his hand lightly stroking Ignis' side. "Yeah, that's a pretty typical reaction," he grinned. "The movie isn't great but it's one of my guilty pleasures. Thanks for watching it with me."

The pop/rock love song that played during the credits didn't match the movie at all, but he'd always loved it. It had always had a sort of power to it that he hadn't expected, one that didn't really carry through the rest of the movie.

"What time even is it?" he asked.

"About a quarter to eleven," Ignis hummed shivering slightly as Gladio stroked his side. He pressed in against his boyfriend, not wanting to leave his side just yet. "Looks like the rain has started though." With the TV quiet and on the menu selection screen it was a lot easier to hear the pounding of rain against the windows. It had been a hot day Ignis wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be a storm.

Gladio's body tightened at the sound of it but he forced himself to relax. It was just rain; he wasn't going anywhere, and it was going to be okay. He took a slow breath as he stroked Ignis' side slowly. "Do you...wanna get ready for bed?" he murmured softly. His stomach did a little thrilling flip at the thought of staying here. "I'll just have to go grab my bag." He was happy his car was in a guest spot.

Ignis nodded a thrill of excitement at falling asleep next to his and then waking up next to his love. Ignis was a sucker for domesticity.

"I would offer you something to wear," He said sitting up and pulling away from Gladio to stand. "But I don't think I have anything suitable, I have spare toiletries though." He smiled, of course, Gladio didn't have to wear anything if he didn't want to. Ignis wouldn't mind. 

Gladio flushed slightly at the thought of wearing Ignis' clothes - which then turned around into Ignis wearing his clothes. That was a nice mental image.

"Thanks, but it'll just take me ten. I'm parked in your garage downstairs."

He pressed a kiss to Ignis' cheek. The few minutes it would take to get his bag would hopefully help him calm down.

Ignis nodded and accepted the kiss. He turned to the bowls and glasses and picking them up walked them to the kitchen. Might as well clean up whilst Gladio was getting his bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Phoe has never watched this movie, Banj has watched this movie too many times... we make a great team XD

**Author's Note:**

> Come and find us on Tumblr!
> 
>  
> 
> [Phoenix Down](http://xxphoenixdownxx.tumblr.com)  
> [Banjkazfan](http://tsunderegrumbling.tumblr.com)


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